1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a beverage dispenser having a reservoir from which beverage is dispensed and an apparatus for supplying beverage to the reservoir; the invention also pertains to a method of dispensing a beverage from a reservoir which includes applying air pressure upon a supply for the reservoir as well as the reservoir and to a method of dispensing including switching of beverage supplies.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art dispensing devices pertinent hereto suffer many operational problems. The worst of these problems is that a dispenser runs out of beverage and has to be closed down while the operator replaces a beverage supply vessel, specifically a beer keg. It has been prior practice to try and solve this problem by hooking a plurality of beer barrels together in series and dispensing from a single dispensing valve connected to the series of barrels. In practice, the pressure drop through the barrels is responsible for decarbonation and foaming at the valve, only a single dispensing valve can be used and only two or so beer barrels can be hooked in series. Further, this attempt requires changing of empty barrels and the entire dispensing system has to be shut down and depressurized in order to change barrels. When the system is refilled and hooked up, quite a bit of foam usually has to be drawn out before clear beer can be dispensed.
If a retailer wants 3, 4, 5, 6 or more beer taps, he has had to have one complete system for each tap or else a system for each two adjacently located taps.
Two dispensing valves are about all that can be connected to a single barrel or series of barrels; if more valves are used and these valves are opened simultaneously, the beer will usually foam in the tap rod due to excessive pressure drop.
As a consequence of these prior devices and methods, taverns and bars are set up with a plurality of individual dispensing systems, and yet, even with these, capacity and the problem of running out of beer is still prevalent.